AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA IS FOUNDING A BASKETBALL CLUB

AUBiH Student Plays for State University in New York

American University in Bosnia and Herzegovina (AUBiH) got permission from Ministry of Justice and Administration from Canton of Tuzla for founding of the basketball club. The students will wear American University jerseys from this spring. Under the club, there will be men's and women's teams. American University teams will be formed according to the results from the competition of AUBiH campus in Tuzla and campus additions in Sarajevo, Banja Luka.

Since the students of AUBiH are also the full-time students of partner State University of New York (SUNY Canton), the best players of the basketball club "American University" will have the opportunity to play in the USA college league. Selected players will get the scholarships and the chance to compete for entry into the National College League of USA.

The first student who is involved in this program of AUBiH is Ilijana Todorovic from Banja Luka, a former, highly successful basketball player for the national Bosnian and Herzegovinian team and the scholar of the AUBiH. "Because of previous successes, many professors have suggested me that I should go to America for further education and sports training. With this idea, I visited Mr. Denis Prcić , the president of AUBiH . He has ,in cooperation with SUNY Canton, ensured my 'transfer' in order to help their basketball team, to gain new work , academic and extracurricular experience, and to present Bosnia and Herzegovina and AUBiH in the best possible light.

My task was to pass the final exams and to do the necessary paperwork, which was with the help of student services in Banja Luka and Tuzla very easy. Before I was aware that I travel to New York, I was already there with the help of the U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo, "explains Todorović, the first student of AUBiH who plays for the State University of New York. Women's basketball team of SUNY Canton competes in the Sunrise Conference League. Ilijana got settled, and with her arrival SUNY Canton has won 10 games out of 11.

So far, my favorite game is the one against the Presque Isle from the Maine, which will surely be remembered as one of the best games of the season in terms of defense. In that game, I made the first double-double in my 'college' career, recording 16 points and 10 rebounds. Thanks the winning in that game we got the chance to qualify for the playoff, said Ilijana Todorović, AUBiH student who is currently in the United States.

Sunrise League acclaimed Ilijana the best player of last round, while in the last three games she has made an average of 14.6 points and 9 rebounds, pointed out in the league. Her average shooting percentage of the game was 54 percent, and from the free throw line was 76 percent.

AUBiH will soon announce a job positions for all interested sports managers, coaches and basketball professionals who will lead this demanding sport and educational project, which will result in an exchange of players between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina.